Selangor UMNO in limbo, former state leaders say

Former menteri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said the political scenario in Selangor is in limbo.

"The politics in Selangor seems to be in limbo. I don't understand the political developments in the state but I hope the state leaders can return the 'UMNO glory'," he told Astro AWANI when contacted today.

In his Nov 5 blog post on chedet.cc, Dr Mahathir had said Selangor UMNO should focus on the Gen-Y and restructure the state party leadership.

Following the criticism, Selangor UMNO liaison chairmain Datuk Seri Noh Omar said he would meet with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to seek advice on how to overcome its weaknesses and improve the party.

At the Selangor UMNO Convention earlier this month, Najib had urged state leaders to be bold in implementing new strategies and change its mindset to recapture the state.

The UMNO president also outlined three realities which the Selangor UMNO should accept – UMNO's position as an opposition party; Selangor's strategic location as an active socio-economic centre; and the need for hardwork to win the support of the urban and semi-urban voters.

Meanwhile, former Barisan Nasional (BN) Selangor coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed questioned if there was still hope for Selangor UMNO to be back in action.

"What is happening now is not really a surprise. There are several leaders in Selangor who are lucky to still be in power because the majority in their constituencies are Malays.

"The last general election (GE) results showed UMNO's failure to survive in areas with a Malay population of less than 65 percent," he noted.

Mohd Zin also said, it was time for the party to look for younger leaders who could recapture the state in the next GE.

"There are young leaders who can be the winning factor for UMNO in the future. Many have the potential and talent," he said.

Despite the political disarray in the state, a recent study by Universiti Malaya's Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMcedel) showed that BN was not directly affected by the Selangor MB fiasco. In fact, they seemed to be getting more support after the issue.